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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. club — a group
  12. game — wild animals
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. club — for golf
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. game — a match
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com